Caffeinated Clint
By Clint Morris
God I love this show – so much so I spent about a week searching up-and-down for ex-rental copies of the first “Spin City†DVD released “Michael J.Fox’s All-Time Favourite Episodes†(yes, I’m stingy – couldn’t bring myself to pay full-price). I eventually found them too, in a little store off Sunset Boulevard (granted, one of the discs was scratched beyond belief, and wouldn’t play well; serves me right for going the second-hand route, hey!?).
Finally, the ‘Complete Seasons’ – as opposed to just a few episodes – of the hit sitcom are making their way to DVD – starting with, of course, Mike Flaherty’s first year in City Hall. And did you hear me just pop the champagne cork!?
The show, for those that never caught it, features Michael J.Fox (enticed back to TV by Gary David Goldberg, the genius behind “Family Tiesâ€) as deputy mayor of New York, Mike Flahety. He’s the real brains behind the operation – especially considering Mayor Randall Winston (Barry Bostwick) doesn’t have a lot going on up top.
Flaherty’s idiosyncratic personnel include dense press secretary Paul Lassiter (Richard Kind) bigoted chief of staff Stuart Bondek (Alan Ruck), green country-boy speech writer James (Alexander Chaplin) and wild child accountant Nikki Faber (Connie Britton). New to the compound is Carter Heywood (Michael Boatman) a gay African American activist who’s been after the Mayor for a homophobic slur – and ends up with a job.
On the home-front, Mike’s living with Ashley (Carla Gugino) but that’s about as far as he can seem to take the relationship. She wants commitment; he realizes he wants anything but.
It’s a laugh-a-minute riot – largely due to the marvellous efforts of the cast.
Fox is his usual charming, pert self – playing sort-of a twist on his character from “The American President†(though ‘Louis’ was a bit of a prick, Mike isn’t). There’s also a bit of Alex P.Keaton in the character, but Flaherty’s a bit more level-headed than Stephen and Elyse’s politically-minded son. It’s also a nice change of pace for Fox – getting to play an adult and all.
Bostwick, probably best remembered for his role in “The Rocky Horror Picture Showâ€, gives a memorable though slightly over-the-top performance of the dimish Mayor. He’s one of the standouts of the series – and I don’t doubt the show would’ve quickly disappeared had Bostwick had opted to leave the series when Fox did (it went on for another couple of seasons with Charlie Sheen). And Richard Kind, then fresh from a long-running stint on “Mad About Youâ€, is ever the scene-stealer as nuttso Paul.
The rest of the cast – including future “Friday Night Lights†star Connie Britton, former ‘Ferris Bueller’ buddy Alan Ruck, Michael Boatman, and newcomer Alexander Chaplin – are also wonderful. They’re a great team.
Gugino, who was written out of the show after just one, does have chemistry with the pint-sized actor – but it is a lot funnier seeing him play the singles scene in later seasons so understandable why producers chopped her. Not she’s complaining now – she’s a huge star these days, appearing in such big-time flicks as “Sin City†and “Watchmen†(and where’s Michael Boatman and Richard Kind!?)
There’s never a dull moment on the show, and humour arrives in the most subtle of situations.
Extras
Accompanying the four-disc’s worth of episodes are some really fun extras.
There’s “Prime Time Partners – Michael J. Fox and Gary David Goldbergâ€, filmed footage of the show’s star and creator at the Paley Center in 1996. There’s also a retrospective look-back at the show featuring interviews with Michael J. Fox, Barry Bostwick, Richard Kind, Alan Ruck, Michael Boatman, Connie Britton and Alexander Chaplin, and show creators Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence. Last but not least, there are audio commentaries on a couple of episodes by cast – including Fox.
